1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of a light source apparatus in a display apparatus for obtaining an image by modulating light from a light source, and to the construction of a display apparatus using the light source apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known display apparatus, an optical modulation panel such as a liquid crystal panel is combined with a light source, and light from the light source is modulated by the optical modulation panel in accordance with image information to effect image formation. In such a display apparatus, it is required that the size of the light source be reduced to thereby reduce the size of the display apparatus, and that a display of high luminance be achieved.
As a first example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-13049 discloses a technique for achieving a reduction in the size of a projection type liquid crystal display apparatus which enlarges and projects an image of a liquid crystal panel to perform display.
The above-mentioned publication discloses the construction of a display apparatus in which three liquid crystal panels are arranged around a dichroic prism, and in which the liquid crystal display elements are illuminated by flat fluorescent tubes which are arranged behind the liquid crystal panels and which differ in light-emission color, an image in the different colors synthesized by the dichroic prism being projected onto a screen by a projection lens.
As a second example of a technique for reducing the size of a projection type liquid crystal display apparatus, there is a construction in which only one liquid crystal panel is used, and in which the liquid crystal display element is illuminated from behind by a lamp such as a metal halide lamp, an image of the liquid crystal panel being projected onto a screen by a projection lens.
However, in the first example, in which three liquid crystal panels are used, a high cost is involved. Further, it is necessary to provide an adjusting mechanism for restraining misregistration of the images of the three panels, which makes it difficult to achieve a further reduction in the size of the display apparatus.
In the second example, in which a white light source is used, it is necessary to provide the pixels of the liquid crystal panels with color filters to project a color image. To generate colors, three pixels of red, green and blue are required, with the result that the resolution of the displayed image deteriorates. Further, in a color filter, the light of a wavelength other than that of the transmitted light is absorbed, so that the displayed image is rather dark. Furthermore, high voltage is required to light the metal halide lamp, with the result that a large power source circuit is involved, which makes it difficult to achieve a reduction in the size of the display apparatus.
The present invention has been made with a view toward solving the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display apparatus which uses a minimum number of liquid crystal panels to reduce the size of the display apparatus and whose liquid source apparatus is made compact to thereby achieve a reduction in the size of the display apparatus as a whole.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a display apparatus in which light from the light source apparatus is used in high utilization efficiency and which can display an image with high resolution even though a minimum number of liquid crystal panels are used.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a display apparatus that may include a plane optical modulation panel, and a planar light source arranged behind the plane optical modulation panel and having in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the panel a first light emission region that may include an electroluminescent element having an optical micro resonator emitting light in the wavelength region of a first color and a second light emission region that may include an electroluminescent element having an optical micro resonator emitting light in the wavelength region of a second color different from the first color.